I Am Here
by Vendie of Rivendell
Summary: Elrond has been reunited with his wife, Celebrian, in the West. As they share their first night together again, Elrond finds that he can't sleep. One-shot.


**I Am Here  
**By Vendie

**Note**: As usual, I am making no profit from this story and all of the characters, names, and places belong to the Tolkien Estate.

I love Elrond – he's probably my favorite character. I've always wanted to write a happy ending for him, and so here it is. Enjoy!

* * *

The night was cold, but Lord Elrond, formerly of Imladris, barely noticed. Even if he were not an elf, would not have noticed the chill in the air for this night he slept in Tol Eressea, and with him was his wife, Celebrian, sleeping soundly upon his bare chest.

Their reunion earlier that day had been so sweet – Elrond could not sleep for his emotions were still overwhelming him even at that very moment.

She had been waiting for him on the docks. How she knew he would be arriving that day with her mother, Lady Galadriel, Mithrandir, and the two Hobbits, he had no idea. As the Peredhil reflected upon it, however, he began to suspect that the Lady Galadriel had something to do with it.

"Look to the shore, Lord Elrond." She had said enigmatically with a playful smile upon her bright face. "Is it not the fairest land you have ever seen?" But when Elrond had turned to look upon the Western Shore, it was not land that took his eye. There was his wife, walking upon one of the docks, glancing back and forth as if she was looking for something.

Elrond could recall the utter breathlessness he felt upon seeing his wife again after their many years of separation. His knees were weak, his heart fluttered, and his face flushed. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time again, before their courtship. And how graceful she looked; restored to her full beauty, all of the pain of her suffering gone from her gorgeous face. Elrond could feel his own pain ebbing away at the sight of her.

Celebrian finally looked out to the sea, and caught sight of their ship, and Elrond. He saw her suddenly stop as their elven eyes met. He heard her call out his name – at her voice he nearly collapsed.

"A familiar face." Galadriel said, apparently barely containing chuckles at the sight of Elrond. The elven lord could not find his voice, and he was vaguely aware that Frodo and Mithrandir had joined them on the deck and were discussing something, but Elrond only had ears for his Celebrian.

Elrond could barely remember how he got from the ship to the dock after they arrived. All he could remember was attempting to maintain as much countenance as possible while rushing forward towards Celebrian. When he finally held her in his arms again he could no longer hold back his tears. He took her face gently in his hands and pressed his lips to hers urgently. He could sense from her the same need as she reciprocated. When their kiss ended, he gathered her wholly in his arms, tangling his fingers in her hair.

"Oh, my love." He sighed, drowning in the scent of her.

"I have missed you," Celebrian said, her own voice shaking with emotions.

Looking back on it as he lay in bed with her, Elrond suddenly felt mildly embarrassed at being so forward with Celebrian in front of her mother. With a sigh, he let his distress fade away as he reached over and stroked Celebrian's cheek with his thumb. She stirred.

"Elrond." She said, her eyes not opening.

"I am here." He replied.

"Mmm," Celebrian smiled and finally her eyes fluttered open. She pulled herself up to rest her head on his shoulder and gaze into his eyes. "Yes, you are." She replied happily.

Elrond leaned down and kissed her. "I did not mean to wake you, my love." He said quietly.

"Could you not sleep?" Celebrian asked, caressing his face with her fingers. Elrond sighed at her touch.

"No," he replied. "I was just… thinking."

"Of?"

"Nothing of importance." He kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep, love."

"Nothing of importance – puh." Celebrian replied. "I know that look on your face."

As Elrond looked in her eyes, he knew he could not keep his troubles from her. She already knew they were there. She always had. Even when she was so deep in her own despair that she could barely make sense of the world around her, she could always see the worries he could keep from everyone else.

"Melethril… I cannot explain it to you wholly. But now that I am here with you, I wish not to be parted from you again. Even to dream." He tried to hold her gaze, but turned away, ashamed of his own foolishness. He felt her sit up and then take his face in her hand and turn it towards her once more.

"My love," she said. "Now that you are here with me, I am fully healed. During my time here without you I came to realize that I would never be recovered until you were at last by my side. You are my heart. I cannot live without you, and I will never be parted from you again. I love you, Elrond. Let your heart be not troubled."

He could not hold back the tears that had gathered in his eyes once more as he leaned forward to kiss her again. She gathered him in her arms, guiding his head to the crook of her neck to let his hot tears fall upon her bare skin as she stroked his hair. Slowly, they both lay back down upon the bed, tangled in each other's arms whispering endearments to each other.

Eventually, Elrond could no longer fight the heaviness of his eyes and he succumbed to his fatigue. He nestled closer to Celebrian, whose hands were entwined in his between them. With her scent and warmth wrapped around him, he breathed deeply and began to fall asleep.

"Elrond." He heard her whisper.

"Mmm." He managed.

"I am here." Celebrian said.

And with that, Lord Elrond, formerly of Imladris, fell into the sweetest sleep he had ever known.


End file.
